Went to see manatees this morning. They drift to warmer waters around this time of the year. Pretty cool.
Ahh, sauteed manatee sounds good. Keep rubbing it in @qwikad.com ! I can deal with it a bit better today. Our temps skyrocketed up to 25F/-4C today. Almost balmy compared to yesterday. Of course, it is snowing and I have to drive out of state this afternoon...
Can't speak for Floridians or manatees on that topic. However, the stands on the side of the road selling boiled peanuts (the ones in the salted water pots, of course) are what I think of when I head down there. Has to be in season, of course.
I am a native Floridian and I spend thousands of hours on the water each year. The water is the best thing about Florida, we have the biggest and most diverse ecosystems in the United States.
Love Florida and trying to get there to live. Bought a car, booked a condo and started the drive down on the 9th January, but an idiot driver not looking where he was going smashed into the back of us at roadworks in Nashville. We had to spend our holiday money on a hotel in East Nashville for 2 nights and a Greyhound back to Illinois to start a lawsuit, still in Illinois, no car and no money! 3 Years ago I was in St.Petes having a swim and I heard people on the beach shouting "It´s going straight for him", I looked around and they were pointing at me! Naturally, I got a bit worried as I saw a large dark shape in the water heading straight for me. It was a manatee, amazing and friendly animals. As it got right by me, it flipped its head out as if to say "Hello" and dived back under with a flip of its tail. Amazing experience for a British man who has never seen a manatee before.
Diverse? Do you have a 14,500 foot mountain that can be seen from the lowest point in North America? Can you ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon? Does FL have Redwood forrest or deserts? Do you have anything like Tahoe, Yosemite, or the Colorado River? Diverse, please.
Been there, done that. Redwoods and the parks are great. I can live without the mountains or skiing. But I particularly can live without that damn long winter of yours. People don't realize how much they put their lives on hold during winter until they move to FL. FL is diverse, by the way, too. The Tallahassee area, for instance, is way cooler than, let's say, Central FL. The beaches, Magic / Animal Kingdom, Epcot, greatest Zoos, deep water fishing and so much more - what not to like? PS Although I can live without the 100% humidity we have here from time to time.
No place is perfect for everyone, but for the reasons you mentioned I am happy to be a Florida Native. I actually want to visit California and seeing the redwoods, and the pacific ocean are two things very high on my list. The bottom line is that each part of the world has its own unique beauty. Its hard for us to say one place is better than another place because it differs for everyone. The best thing you can do is just get out there and enjoy as many different places as you can, but make sure to make your home a place you love.
Will have to try the boiled peanuts sometime! Strangely enough, my wife was born in Miami, but I have never been to Florida. Crazy, I know.